Creating a functional and safe home gym is a big challenge. The biggest concern for our clients is usually not having enough space.
If you're in the planning stage and worried about this too, we reassure you, there are ways to save precious space and create a welcoming space without tripping over equipment at every turn.
From the article you'll learn:
- What equipment to store first?
- Learn the differences between equipment racks and hangers
- Learn about modular racks and equipment storage systems
- We will show you examples of solutions for combining exercise equipment with storage
- See how small training accessories can be organised easily
What to store at first?
The first thing to think about is storing the largest and heaviest equipment. It will take up a lot of space in your gym. Unstacked items such as dumbbells, kettlebells, plates, barbells can threaten safety during your workout.
With shelves and racks, you will save a significant amount of workout space. Equipment will also be much more accessible during your workout.
Racks and proper storage also contribute greatly to the lifespan of your workout equipment.
Dedicated racks
There are many types of racks offered by manufacturers. The multitude of solutions allows the buyer to choose the ideal option for the future gym. You can choose in terms of aesthetics and design, loading capacity and size of individual products.
Although sometimes there is a temptation to give up the racks or create them at home we recommend a common sense approach in this aspect. At least when it comes to heavy equipment such as dumbbells, kettlebells, plates, barbells. Bearing in mind that the equipment on the rack can weight even several hundred kilos, it is worth trusting dedicated solutions.
Hangers for home gym
An alternative to racks are hangers. Hangers for light equipment - mats, rubbers, etc. - are common. However recently also hangers for larger loads - plates, barbells, kettlebells - are gaining popularity. This is a very functional solution, but it also carries some inconveniences. Unlike the racks, the hanger needs to be mounted and interfere with the construction of the wall. To avoid accidents, they should be installed by a professional who knows the load capacity of the wall and the material they are made of.
Because of the freedom of location on the wall, installing a hanger in a home gym, we can adjust the height perfectly to ourselves. This gives great convenience, especially when removing heavy equipment.
More about what to look for when starting to build a home gym, we wrote
here.
Equipment storage systems
When building a home gym, it is worth knowing that there are also dedicated modular rack systems for storage. This solution is more expensive than ready-made racks, however we can freely configure them and finally have a rack compatible with our equipment - tailor-made. Modular racks are built on the profiles of rig constructions, which allows them to be directly connected with each other and create much more stable structures.
Products with the option of storing equipment
There are many solutions on the market that, in addition to their training function, also have the ability to store small equipment. The most popular of them is the squat station (rack). When you buy this equipment you not only gain unlimited possibilities of working with barbells. Most of the rack type equipment has the ability to store both plates and barbells.
Another interesting piece of equipment is the HIIT bench. This solution is ideal when the gym space is smaller than 15m2 and it's hard to fit a squat station in it. HIIT bench has in itself the function of an adjustable bench, box for jumps and because of its weight, gives the possibility to attach rubber bands and battle rope. In addition, the bench has a spacious basket for accessories and hangers for dumbbells and kettlebells.
When planning a home gym, it is worth paying attention if planned equipment has a storage option. Choosing machines with storage option can reduce the cost of the investment even by a few hundred dollars.
DIY storage
Besides dedicated options there are also many alternative solutions that can bring order and tidiness to your home gym. They work especially well when we need to store smaller training accessories, such as mats, balls, light weights for ankles and wrists, expanders, etc.
For this group of products, binder boxes are ideal.
If you want quick access to your equipment, it's definitely worth thinking about wall-mounted racks and trusses. You can find them easily at big home improvement stores or even at IKEA stores.
Summary
When planning a home gym, it's a good idea to think about equipment storage at the early stages and include it in your overall budget. Skillfully planning equipment storage will increase your workout space and make it more welcoming and safe.
There are many storage options - ready-made racks, hangers, and modular racks that can be configured for your equipment.
Many home gyms use so-called DIY solutions to store equipment, which will be ideal for light workout items. For heavy equipment, however, proven and durable racks and hangers are recommended.